Dear Parents and Carers,

The last day of term 2 for students is tomorrow - Friday 6 July. Term 3 starts for students on Tuesday 24 July.

Your child's school report will be sent home in the last week of school. I am thoroughly enjoying reading the reports and learning more about our students' achievements this semester. Please take the time to read the report and celebrate with your child. Their learning is important!

Early next term, you will have the chance to have a brief meeting with your child's teacher to discuss the report. Parent-teacher afternoon will be held on Tuesday 31st July (term 3, week 2) between 3.15 and 5.30. More information will follow.

Our P&C has organised a disco for the students on the last day of term, Friday 6 July, so please send your child in mufti (disco or play clothes) and $2 for the fundraiser.

The P&C has also planned a fabulous fundraiser night next term. Keep Friday night 10 August aside so that you can attend "Comedy for a Cause" at Guildford Leagues Club. It will be a wonderful night that you can share with the Holroyd School community, family and friends. This is an adult event so get the babysitters organised. No children can attend the evening. Tickets are on sale online.

Our school has been asked to share the following information with you. In the future, it is anticipated that there will be some changes to the way school transport operates due to NDIS. There are no changes at the moment. However, you have an opportunity to have your say.

The Australian Government has released a discussion paper about 'Supported School Transport and the National Disability Insurance Scheme' on their website https://engage.dss.gov.au

As the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is rolled out across Australia, this paper asks for your feedback on how supported school transport could work under the NDIS.

This is your opportunity to have your say via a submission on how you would like to see supported school transport operate in our State. The consultation period will end on 20 July at 5.00pm.

There will be some face-to-face consultations held throughout the state, full details will be updated on their website when they are available.

For any further information about the discussion paper or submission you can email transport@dss.gov.au

Until next time,

Anne Flint

Dear parents and carers,

The Holroyd P&C invites you to join us for a laugh at our Comedy for a Cause fundraiser on Friday 10 August.

The strictly adults-only evening promises to showcase some of the best comedians from the Sydney and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals.

So gather a group of family and friends, book a babysitter and join us from 6.30pm at Guildford Leagues Club for a side-splitting night of laughter.

Tickets are just $30 each and must be pre-purchased. All profits from the evening will go towards much-needed resources for our school.

Until next time,

Gricel Mendez

To purchase tickets, follow the link below:

How long have you worked at Holroyd School?

I started at Holroyd School in 1990 after completing Post Graduate Studies in Special Education.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

My favourite memory is spending three weeks every January at a holiday house at Dunbogan with grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. There were no phones, usually no TV but lots of card playing, board games, late night fishing and prawning, reading and days spent at the beach.

What was your favourite subject at school?

Home Economics and sewing. I still love to sew but nowadays I'm not so keen on the cooking!

If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?

I can't answer that as I'm not materialistic. It's more about the people around me. Family and friends mean a lot.

What is your favourite book?

Anything written by Jeffrey Archer or a good crime novel!

If you could invite any three guests to a dinner party, who would they be?

There are some incredible people in this world but ultimately I would love the chance to have dinner again with my mum and dad.

What is your favourite song to sing along to?

Any song that has a catchy tune and you can understand the lyrics! Varies from Queen to Pink, Robbie Williams to Simon and Garfunkel.

What pets did you have growing up?

A dog named Crackers and a cat named Minstrel. My Dad also bred canaries and my brother had a tropical fish tank in our living room.

What is your favourite day of the year?

The last day of the school year. The holidays are certainly a bonus but I always have a feeling of satisfaction that another school year has been completed with a lot achieved and great memories. It's a feeling of celebration and accomplishment.

What fad or trend do you hope comes back?

Australia winning the cricket and Polly Waffles!

How long have you worked at Holroyd School?

15 Years!

What is your favourite childhood memory?

My favourite childhood memory is Christmas time with family on holidays and receiving lots of presents.

What was your favourite subject at school?

I enjoyed both PDHPE and woodwork.

If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?

My car, motorbike, dog, clothes and shoes.

If you could invite any three guests to a dinner party, who would they be?

Movie star Bruce Lee, soccer superstar Harry Kane and pop singer Pink.

What is your favourite song to sing along to?

I love music so it's hard to choose just one song. At the moment I find myself singing along to God's Plan by Drake.

What pets did you have growing up?

Dogs, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds.

What is your favourite day of the year?

Christmas Day.

What fad or trend do you hope comes back?

Roller blades.

Holroyd students participated in NAIDOC Week activities last week, to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The activities were based on this year's NAIDOC theme, which is 'because of her, we can!' NAIDOC Week is celebrated from 8-15 July.

Some students experienced a highly engaging 45-minute virtual reality experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, which explored the natural environment and way of life of our first people. 

Other students had the opportunity to participate in a Walk Around, visiting specified check-points located around Holroyd School. At each check-point students completed an activity, which included art, mapping, peer support games and sensory experiences.

Last Friday four senior classes (S13, S14, S18 and S24) enjoyed an excursion to Reading Cinemas Auburn to see Hotel Transylvania 3. All students were on their best behaviour and enjoyed the humour, colour and sounds of the animated comedy. 

Senior students kept it cool in term two with ice skating and disco moves.

The disco, hosted by children's charity Variety and held at Liverpool Catholic Club, was a hit with senior students as they danced along to their favourite tunes. Variety provided refreshments on the day to ensure that everyone's energy and enthusiasm levels were high.

Senior students certainly did need their energy, as the next day they headed out again - this time to Macquarie Ice Rink at North Ryde. The excursion, again organised by Variety, was part of our positive behaviour in learning (PBL), PDHPE and geography programs. All students were excited to learn some basic ice-skating skills, including balancing and gliding gently on the ice. Penguin chairs enabled students to move safely around the rink with the support of volunteers.

Our sincerest thanks to Variety for these opportunities for our students to have fun in the community. Variety supports children and families facing challenges through sickness, disadvantage or living with a disability.

This year students in J2 have been focusing on communication, movement and exploring different sensory experiences through art and play. Our favourite activities during semester one have been peer support and music therapy, where we have interacted with our peers to create beautiful artwork and exciting music.

Every Friday we play, stretch and move during hydrotherapy. J2 students look forward to the relaxation and freedom the water provides and eagerly anticipate their weekly lessons in the pool. They all particularly enjoy music (singing and dancing) while in the water.

We have also participated in the geography unit of work titled 'The Places We Live In' this semester. The class explored different environments; how the climate influences those who live there; and the roles of different people within the community. The children enjoyed mapping the local Central Gardens Park at Merrylands; as well as learning the Aboriginal words for animals and places found around the park.

Until next time,

Adam, Fatima, Ken, Noah, Sara, Tarek, April, Trish and Karissa.

It was never too hot in the kitchen for J6 this term as they cooked their way around the world.

In this semester's unit of work, titled 'Geography, The Places We Live In', students helped prepare recipes from their own cultural backgrounds. The young master chefs also had the opportunity to sample various dishes made by their peers.

J6 students also enjoyed weekly gymnastics sessions with their peer support buddies in S24 this term. They actively participated in all set activities and enjoyed guidance from expert coaches.

The physical activity didn't stop there with swimming, dancing, use of the outdoor play equipment (merry-go-round and slippery dip) and bike track all in the students' regular weekly routine. The liberty swing is popular too as it swings gently through the air and provides a sense of fun and freedom during gross motor sessions.

J6 students are working hard to achieve learning goals while also having fun with teachers and fellow students.

Until next time,

Emmanuel, Dev, Arianna, Daniel, Danish, Daniel, Mayasa and Frances.

What has been the highlight of the year so far for S19?

It is very hard to pick just one highlight. It is very pleasing to see the boys - James, Johny, Nicholas and Jonathan - overcoming daily challenges while working towards learning goals.

What unit of work is the class studying this semester?

We are studying 'The Needs of Living Things'. The students have created a large class mural from their colourful artwork on the topic.

What aspects of your weekly timetable do your students particularly enjoy?

A highlight for us is definitely swimming. The students love the water and we are fortunate enough to spend two sessions a week in the school's indoor pool. We also enjoy cooking and our weekly BBQ. How can you not like it when food is involved?

How does the class spend time outdoors each week?

S19 is a very active class and we enjoy time spent outside the class environment. We participate in a daily fitness program which includes a walk around the school grounds followed by several laps of the senior bike track. We also look forward to our visit to Holroyd Gardens for hot chips every Tuesday afternoon.

Is there a message you would like to give to your students' parents?

Thank you for your continued support. It is much appreciated and allows us to offer a wide range of class programs.

Students in S25 are currently studying the unit of work titled 'The Needs of Living Things'. We have particularly enjoyed creating a large aquarium mural to brighten our classroom wall, learning interesting facts about Australian fauna and flora and ensuring our new outdoor plants receive adequate water and sunshine.

We have enjoyed a very busy term two working and learning together. Highlights have been our bowling trips followed by hot chip lunches; weekly cooking lessons; our fun ice-skating day hosted by children's charity Variety; and a five-day swim school program.

We also participated in a class shop program this term, which involved packing fresh fruit and snack foods every Thursday to sell to school staff members. This exercise gave our class the opportunity to interact with fellow students and staff while developing both maths and communication skills.

Another highlight of our week is spending time outdoors. We begin every school day at the bike track - either walking laps, using the outdoor equipment or riding bikes. We also look forward to swimming lessons in our indoor heated pool every Monday; and class sporting activities on Fridays.

Students in S25 are learning to work together, stay with their group and show care and kindness to one another. We are excited about participating in the Sailability program at Dobroyd Aquatic Centre, in Sydney's inner west, later in the year.

Until next time,

Andy, Arthur, Stanley, Kalan, Gordon, Erinc, Aydan and Gerry.